These vintage cans
of dolphin meat, from the late 1930s to early 1950s, depict an era when
the hunting of selected channel dolphins was considered a cultural rite.
The flesh of the dolphin, as well as the pursuit of the catch, were considered
a demonstration of a man's virility. As well, the eating of dolphin meat
was considered, in some circles, to be a kind of ancestor worship as the
channel dolphins were thought to be the reincarnated souls of the local
deceased. By the early 20th century, the reasons for eating dolphin had
become such a hybrid of stories and causesboth commercial and culturalthat
only a few could remember why the dolphin was eaten at all. While many
eccentric but seemingly "traditional" dolphin rituals still
occur to this day, most people visiting El Fornio think of the local dolphin
swim camps when they think of El Fornio dolphins.